Electrical outlet device



. April 29, 1930. H; E, SLADE 1,756,704

ELECTRI CAL OUTLET DEVI CE Filed March 28, 1927 /5 vENToR '/////fl F'Mdb@ ATORNE.

Patented Apr. 2,9, 1930 UNITEDy STATES HAROLD E. SLADE, F GLEN RIDGE, NEW JERSEY,4 ASSIGNOR T0 BEAVER MACHINE PATENT OFFICE 65 TOOL C0. INC., 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION` 0F. NEWA JERSEY ELECTRICAL OUTLET DEVICE Application led March 28, 1927. Serial No. 178,942.

My invention relates to a new and useful electrical outlet device, of the general type adapted to receive conventional blade type of electrical connector plugs, and it relates more particularly to an `electrical outlet of this character, adapted to be mounted directly upon and exteriorly of a wallor other sup- Iport and one which may be wired, assembled and mounted with great ease and facility and without the exercise of any special skill.

The object of my invention is to provide an electrical outlet device for use in connection with duplex .electrical conductors or the like and one` which may be handled by laymen if necessary, and one which may be assembled and mounted in place without aid of any other implement than a .screw driver and without any greatr amount of skill, and which at the same time will produce an electrical insulation of a safe and durable character.

With the above ends in view, my invention consists of a two-part insulating housing, comprisin a body member. andA a cap or closure mem er, both of generally cylindrical 26 shape, said bodyl member having a pair of substantially parallel and spaced apertures extending therethrough, disposed symmetrically on either side of the axis thereof, and adapted to receive through the rear end there- 30 of a pair of corresponding blade engaging I spring contact members, and adapted to receive through the front end thereof the blades of a conventional blade type of electrical con- -nector plug. The blade engaging spring contact members disposed within the pair of recesses in the body member of the housing are also provided withinner wire engaging means for electricall engaging the two me! tallic wires of a dup ex electrical conductor. Means are also provided for securing the cap or closure me ber to the body member of the housing, i such a manner as to conne 'within the latter the blade engagingspring contact members, and so as to maintain the duplex electrical conductor aswell as the two metallic wires thereof in assembled or wired relation to the blade engaging spring contact l members. 4

My invention further consists of`a novel mounting and supporting'shell of a generally cylindrical construction, preferably made of thin metal or the like, adapted closely to sur'- round the cylindrical insulating housing,

suitably apertured, whereby the supporting v shell may be secured to any suitable support,

such as a wall, by means of screws or other fasteningl devices extending through said apertures, thereby rigidly to secure said housing to said wall or other support.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings, a form thereof which is at present preferred by me since it will give in practice, satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which may invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to lt-he precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities Aas herein shown and described.

I In th,D accompanying drawings, in which like refe ence characters designate like parts, Figure l represents a top plan view of the novel electrical outlet device embodying my invention.

Figure 2 represents a bottom plan view of the same, with the insulating cap or closure member removed therefrom, so as to expose to view the manner of wiring said outlet device.

Figure 3 representsa sect-ion on line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 represents a section on' linef4-4 of Figure l.

The housing 1 is formed of suitabledinsuf lating material, as for instance cold molding composition or the like, and comprises a body portion 2 and a cap portion 3, both of generally cylindrical character. The body por" tion 2 is provided with a pair of spaced apertures 4 and 5 extending therethrough, disposed symmetrically on either side of, and substantially parallel to the axis thereof. The apertures 4 and 5 are narrower at their outer ends and are provided with slight shoulder 6.

A blade engaging spring contact 7 is posil tioned in each of the apertures 4 and 5, with the outer end thereof abutting the shoulder `6, so as to retain the same against any outward displacement; said contacts having suitable blade engaging spring leaves 8, which are adapted to contact with, and yield-v ably to bear against the blades of the conventional type of connector plugs, inserted into the apertures 4 and 5 through the outer ends thereof.

The inner ends of the ,blade engaging spring contacts 7 carry any suitable wire engaging means 9, for maintaining electrical contact with two electrical conductors 10 and 11 of a duplex cord 12, as shown particularly in Figures 3 and 4. In the particular illustration of my invention shown in these two figures, the 'Wire engaging means 9comprises opposed and staggered spring prongs orl tongues 13 and 14, adapted toreceive the Wire'slO and 11. v

The cap or closure member 3, also of insulating material, is provided with corresponding recesses 15, adapted to'v house the wire engaging means 9, andhaving also suitable surfaces 16, adapted to bear against the upper spring prongs 14, in such a manner as not only to retain `the blade engaging spring contacts 7 within the recesses 4 and 5, but also to press said spring prongs 14 against the electrical conductors'lO and 11, thereby to form an eHcient and firm electrical contact between said wires and the blade engaging contacts 7.

In order to provide a rigid and yet detachable mounting and support for the housing 1, I provide a cylindrical mounting shell 17,

preferably formed of metal or the like, adapt- Y ed to fit relatively' snugly around the cylindrical body of the housing 1, having an inwardly projecting lateral liange 18 at its outer end, engaging or abutting a corresponding annular terminal shoulder 19, extending around the periphery of the body portion 2 of the housing, and having also an outwardly projecting lateral iange 20 extending around the opposed end of the cylindrical shell 17. The shell 17 thus completely encloses and protects the insulating housing 1 and revents` breakage or damaging of the housing. Furthermore, by the use of a shell17 completely enclosing the housing 1 and rmly engaging the outer end thereof by the flange 18 whichengages the shoulder 19, I am enabled to dispense with the assembling screws 24 or their equivalent if desired since the shell 17 in addition to securin the entire housing assembly to a support, a so serves to secure the cap 2 to the body 3l as will be apparent.

Suitable slots or recesses 21 may. be provided in the inner annular iiange 20, aswell as in thecylindrical shell 17, in registration with the Wire channels or recesses 22 in the housingl, so that the supporting or mounting shell 17 may be applied to the housingll more readily with the slots 21 clearing the duplex conductor 12. l

Suitable aperturesv 23 may also be provided in the iange 20 through which the screws or any other fastening means may be inserted, for rigidly securing the vshell 17 as well as the housing 1 to'a wall or other support.

The body/and cap portions 2 and 3 of the housing 1 may also be secured to .each other independentlv of the cylindrical supporting or mounting shell 17, by a pair of suitable screws or other "fastening means 24, extending through-suitable apertures in the cap portion 3 and threadedly anchored in corresponding internally threaded metallic bushings 25, molded in the body member 2 of the housing.

. In installing an electrical outlet device of my invention, two wires 10 and 11 of the electrical conductor 12 are bared a suitable extent, and diverged-in the manner shown in Figure 2, and inserted between the opposed prongs 13 and 14 of the corresponding blade engaging spring contacts 7. Thereafter the cap portionp is superimposed upon the contacts 7, and-'the mounting shell 17 placed over the housing. E

The housing may be applied directly to the Wall, with the body and cap members ,2 and 3 thereof confined between the outer annular iiange 19 at one end and the wall or other ysupport at .the inner end of the-shell 17 and thus held together. in assembled relation to each other." If desired, however, the body and cap member 18 may be securedto each other independently of the shell 17, by means of screws 24 as mentioned hereinbefore, thereby completely assembling the body and cap members in the Wired condition prior tothe mounting thereof upon the Wall.

Having thus described my invention, what v I claim as new` and desire Patent is 1. An electrical outletl of the character stated, comprising a substantially cylindrical to secure by Letters housing, including a body and a closure member, a pair of spaced and'substantialPy parallel apertures extending through saidbody member disposed on either side of the axis thereof',-there being corresponding recesses in the inner end o'f said closure member,rand channels in the housing leading to saidv recesses, a pair `of blade engaging spring con-A tacts disposed within said apertures, in elec- 5 trically insulated relation to each other, wirey engaging means carried at the inner ends of said spring contacts seated in said recesses, a y

cylindrical mounting shell surrounding said housing, having an lnwardly extending terminal ange at its outer end, said shell being provided with opposed slots for accommodatingduplex electrical conductors and said lizo Hangs being adapted to abut -against and opv eratively to engage a corresponding outer peripheral shoulder on said housing, so as to prevent the outward displacement of the latter with respect to said shell and an outwardly extending annular flange carried by the inner end of said shell, having suitable apertures for the reception of fastening devices, and having slots therein in alignment with the slots of said terminal flanges for the passage of said conductor therethrough into -the housg2,. An electrical outlet comprising a substantially cylindrical, transversely divided two part housing including a cap member and a body member, said body member having a -pair of parallel through apertures therein and also having opposed slots to accommodate conductor cords and said cap member having seats in its inner end registering with the inner ends of said apertures, blade engaging spring contacts in said apertures and having wire engaging means seated in said recesses, means for securing said cap to said body member and a protecting metallic shell completely 4 enclosing said housing and having an inward'- ly deflected flange engaging a corresponding shoulder on the outer end of said housing and having an outwardly deflected flange Jfor securing said housing to a supportnsaid flange being slotted in alignment with the slots in said body member.

3. An electrical outlet comprising a substantially cylindrical, transversely divided two part housing including a cap member and a body member, said body member having a pair of parallel through apertures therein and also having opposed slots to accommodate conductor cords and said cap member having seats in its inner end registering wlth the inner ends of sald apertures,

' blade engaging spring contacts in said apertures and having wire engaglng means seated in said recesses, means for securing said cap to said body member and a protecting metallic shell completely enclosing said housing and having an inwardly deflected ange engaging a corresponding shoulder on the outer end of said housing, and having an outwardly deflected flange for securing said housing to a support, said outwardly deflected flange and shell having opposed aligning passages therein for the reception of a duplex electrical conductor, said passages being aligned with the slots in said body member.

HAROLD E. s LADE. 

